Sizing Up the Sixers (4-11):The original plan Wednesday night, Turkey Day eve, was to write a game story off the predictable, probably cliched angle of thankfulness, doing so by keeping a running tab of moments from the contest that, from the perspective of Sixers.com, warranted cause for appreciation in respect to the team.At first, everything was going according to plan. The Sixers controlled their match-up with Memphis for essentially all of the first half, and into the third quarter, going in front by as many as 11 points. Then, the tilt started to tighten up down the stretch, and an ultra-competitive, double-overtime affair broke out.Subsequently, we decided to give the hard-fought game the more serious coverage it deserved, and leave our initial idea on the cutting room floor. Only for a few days, though. So, as the Sixers prepare to resume their homestand Friday versus the Chicago Bulls, here's how we thought Wednesday's write up was going to go, with each sequence, for the most part, representing a broader, encouraging, big picture Sixers subplot the group aims to carry forward.The exercise is pretty simple. Just insert the phrase “the Sixers can be thankful for…” prior to each bullet point, which, in most cases, will be preceded by a timestamp from the game. Bear with us. This might have been a silly concept from the start…Pre-Game Media Availability”The Sixers can be thankful for…”* Brett Brown's attitude:Always upbeat and optimistic, the Sixers head coach, especially in hindsight, set an effective tone for Wednesday's game. Despite the club earning back-to-back wins for the first time since March of 2015, he wanted the Sixers hungry against a far more seasoned opponent, one that brought a physical, scrappy brand of ball to The Center. “I personally feel like it's a responsibility and opportunity to coach them harder, to ask for more, to demand more, to expect more,” Brown said. “I get greedy, and I try to come with a…message, and we want more. I'm proud of what they're doing, but we want more, and we want to help them get better. They're starting to see, I think rewards, for truly their professional daily efforts, It really is starting to add up.”The Sixers subsequently started the game in auspicious fashion, leading for all but two and a half minutes of the opening half. First Quarter”The Sixers can be thankful for…”* (12:00) Joel Embiid starting for the 11th time in 15 games:Certainly, his playing time budget is a factor Brown and the Sixers have had to navigate during the opening month of the season. But, considering the events of the past two years, the mere fact that he's been available to play more often than not is a noteworthy development.* (8:52) The acquisition of Ersan Ilyasova:The nine-year veteran has proven to be a productive, reliable two-way presence since being obtained via trade from Oklahoma City the second week of the season. By this point, he's already gobbled up three rebounds in the opening three minutes of Wednesday's game. He would finish with his second consecutive double-double.* (7:45) Young depth at center:Jahlil Okafor would find himself in for a battle against Memphis' grizzled frontcourt, but, all in all, for the Sixers to have a 17-point per game scorer backing up their starting five man, and serving as an occasional fill-in, is a luxury few other teams boast. * (3:23) Robert Covington hit a 3-pointer on his second try from the perimeter:Entering Wednesday evening, Covington had gone 8 for his last 44 from beyond the arc; however, the final triple he made in Monday's win over Miami helped the Sixers get over the top. Against the Grizzlies, it was good to see Covington pick right up where he left off two days earlier. He netted 19 points, converting 6 of 10 shots, and 4 of 7 3-pointers. Second Quarter”The Sixers can be thankful for…”* (7:48) Embiid's hands:Dating back to the pre season, the 7-foot-2 center has made it known he has great belief in his ability to set up teammates for scoring opportunities. In what was the second of his career-high tying three assists Wednesday, Embiid did a nice job finding a cutting Covington after putting the ball on the floor, and briefly posting up Zach Randolph. * (4:32) The “do-all” versatility of Ilyasova, and Dario Saric:After Embiid picked up his third personal foul, the Sixers' center rotation was in a pinch. Okafor was also saddled with three personal fouls, and third-stringer Richaun Holmes was unavailable due to illness. Thanks to the diverse skill set offered by his two European forwards, Brown was able to summon Dario Saric off the bench, and use him in a relatively positionless frontline tandem with Ilyasova. Saric and Ilyasova have both shown themselves to be capable of handling on an as-needed basis the physicality and rebounding demands of the five-spot, and provided the Sixers with valuable, last-resort depth in an area where minutes have been tightly monitored. * (0:30.4) Jerryd Bayless back in uniform, or, better put, in uniform for the first time:First, seeing Bayless on the court in general has been a welcomed development. He made his season debut in Monday's win over Miami, after having been sidelined since training camp with a left wrist ligament injury. The return of the nine-year veteran has brought with it not only an experienced presence at point guard, but a tough rim-driver. In the closing seconds of Wednesday's second quarter, Bayless shook off a hard spill, and was rewarded with a pair of free throws. Moments later, he used his driving prowess to set up a floater that beat the halftime buzzer. Third Quarter”The Sixers can be thankful for…”* (8:48) Embiid's touch from the free throw line:Embiid is a big man who can make the most of the contact he draws. He hits a pair of free throws here, and ends the evening 3 for 4 from the stripe. Following Wednesday's contest, Embiid's 77.8 free throw percentage ranked second among centers averaging at least five free throw attempts per game.* (2:49) Hollis Thompson's increased effectiveness off the dribble:Recently, when discussing progress that Thompson has displayed this season, Brown referenced the fourth-year Sixer's “catch-go” game. A dependable weapon from deep who's posted a 39.0 career 3-point shooting percentage, Thompson, through 15 games, has appeared more willing to pursue interior scoring opportunities. So far, he's taken nearly three field goal attempts per game inside five feet of the rim, up one from last year. Thompson has converted 57.9 percent of these shots. At this moment of Wednesday's game, Thompson delivers a timely driving basket off a corner feed from Bayless.* (0:00) The Sixers have another lead after three quarters of play:For the seventh time in 15 games, the scoreboard stands in the Sixers' favor through 36 minutes of regulation. How long did it take for this to happen last year? Thirty-two outings. Fourth Quarter”The Sixers can be thankful for…”* (8:28) Wow. That Nik Stauskas dunk:The gif of this sequence speaks for itself, but Stauskas, even more than the latter stages of the previous season, has been an effective rim attacker this campaign. His success in this area has appeared to boost his confidence, which has subsequently translated to better results on the perimeter. The jam below was a timely and energizing one, increasing the Sixers' lead back to three points. * (0:14.9) Embiid's defensive value:If a 7-foot-2 center who has the capability of switching out on an elite point guard, stealing the ball in crunch time, and setting up a game-tying free throw is something you might be interested in, well, you can't have him. Embiid belongs to the Sixers. Beyond his team-best 97.4 defensive rating, here's evidence, in gif form, of just how much Embiid can impact a game through his defense.* (0:00) Overtime:It beats the alternative, and further reinforces the Sixers have been a mostly-competitive club this season. Wednesday's game would end up being the eighth of their 15 outings to be decided by less than 10 points. Overtime #1″The Sixers can be thankful for…”* (0:43.2) A veteran who steps up in the clutch:A priority this summer for Bryan Colangelo and the Sixers' front office was to sprinkle a few seasoned players into the team's youthful roster. The free agent signings of Bayless and Gerald Henderson spoke to this point of emphasis. Bayless' triple at this moment of Wednesday's tilt locked the score at 91-91, and ultimately forced a second overtime.Overtime #2″The Sixers can be thankful for…”* (0:00) Another promising effort:No, the Sixers weren't able to fend off the Grizzlies, a veteran foe which, in the end, managed to stretch its winning streak to six. Nonetheless, the young Sixers matched their opponent's toughness, while demonstrating they were capable of hanging around in a predominantly half-court, defensive-oriented game. Sizing Up the Bulls (9-6):Chicago are wrapping up the first of two season-long six-game road trips. The Bulls' current trek, a gruelling one to have sandwiched around a major holiday, began in Portland 10 days ago, and continued on to Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and Denver, before terminating in Philadelphia.Chicago inked native son Dwyane Wade to a two-year deal in free agency this summer. The three-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star is averaging 18.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 steals in 30.6 minutes per game. Sixth-year swing man Jimmy Butler was named the most recent Eastern Conference Player of the Week award recipient. He manufactured 27.3 points and 9.3 boards in four games a week ago, and currently ranks 10th in the NBA in scoring (25.8 ppg). Series History:The Sixers have fallen to Chicago in 10 consecutive meetings.In the Bulls' lone appearance at The Center last season, a 115-111 overtime victory, Jimmy Butler erupted for a career-high 53 points. Follow Along:
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